Student Consumer Information

Welcome to The Art Institute of Pittsburgh—Online Division

There are few bigger decisions made in life than where to pursue your higher education. Whether you're just getting started in your career or looking to make a change to pursue a creative career path, we'd like to give you the most information possible as you make this important choice.

Launched in 2000, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division builds on the same academic and creative tradition of excellence practiced by The Art Institutes system of schools since 1921. The Art Institute of Pittsburgh is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (267-284-5000). The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

In this section, you'll find the information you need to become an informed consumer of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division education.

From financial aid facts and forms to academic information including course information, text books, and catalogs, it's all in these pages.

See AIprograms.info for program duration, tuition, fees and other costs, median debt, federal salary data, alumni success, and other important info.

Financial Aid Facts

At The Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division financial aid is available to those who qualify. We’re here to help you understand what you need to know to fund your education. If you want to speak with someone in person, please contact a Student Finance Counselor at 855-225-4595. The following links will help you find the information you need to finance your education.

Net Price Calculator (NPC)
If you are a first time student in college and planning to attend full time, please visit our Net Price Calculator to get an early approximation for your costs to attend The Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division. All financial results are only an approximation based on the information you will supply and cannot be considered an actual award. To be considered for federal or state (if applicable) financial aid, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The calculator is not intended for transfer, readmitted, international, graduate, part time or continuing students.

Financial Aid Guide
For detailed information on all financial aid awards, processes, and policies along with important federal resource information to better understand your financial aid eligibility rights and responsibilities, please refer often to our Financial Aid Guide. We also encourage you to contact your Student Finance Counselor if you have additional questions or need any further clarification.

Notice of Federal Student Financial Aid Penalties for Drug Law Violations
For information about eligibility requirements for federal student aid programs, please click here for school specific information. This document will provide further helpful information from the Department of Education.

Types of Financial Aid
Financial aid information is published online and in printed materials. Visit our financial aid pages for more information.

State Grant Assistance
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online participates in eligible Pennsylvania state grant/aid programs for eligible PA residents. See PHEAA.org for potential programs and further information.

Vermont residents attending The Art Institute of Pittsburgh – Online may be eligible for financial assistance through the Vermont state grant program. Contact the Vermont State Grant agency at http://services.vsac.org/ for more information.

Entrance (Initial) Counseling for Student Loan Borrowers
Before receiving a student loan, first-time borrowers must complete an entrance counseling session. This quick and easy interactive counseling session provides useful tips and tools to help you develop a budget for managing your educational expenses and helps you to understand your loan responsibilities. This entrance counseling session can be found on the Federal Student Aid website.

Exit Counseling for Student Loan Borrowers
Direct loan exit counseling will explain your rights and responsibilities as a direct loan borrower. Exit counseling information is also located on the Federal Student Aid website. You will need to have your Social Security number and your FSA ID ready in order to log into this portion of the site.

National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)
When a borrower receives a Federal loan or a Pell grant, the information must be submitted to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). Information in NSLDS is accessible to schools, lenders, and guarantors that are authorized users of the data system. Students are also able to log in and access all of their federal loan and Pell grant information. Students will need to have their federal FSA ID in order to access their information.

Private Education Loans
Private alternative education loans are offered by private lending institutions and are not subsidized by a government agency. Alternative education loans are not to be used as a substitution for Federal financial aid loans. They are intended to provide additional funding for your education after all Federal loans are sought.

Application for all alternative loan programs can be done on-line directly with the lender of your choice. Lenders reserve the right to choose the schools and borrowers that they will approve. Students are free to choose any lender they wish. Should you choose a paper Self Certification Form to begin your application, please click here. The Financial Aid Office can help with any questions you might have, including information on the Cost of Attendance and what loan amount you might need when filling this form out.

Financial Aid Cost of Attendance
The financial aid office uses an estimate of direct and indirect costs to determine how much financial aid a student may be eligible. Direct costs include tuition, fees, some books and supplies. Indirect costs include estimates of other living expenses, transportation and personal expenses. Examples of the cost of attendance estimates used can be found here.

Loan Repayment Estimator
Please visit the Federal Student Aid website, here, for access to the valuable loan repayment estimator to get an idea of what your monthly loan payment might look like, depending on the repayment plan you choose. When it comes time to repay your loans, we suggest a plan that allows you to pay off your loans the fastest. Remember, the longer you take to pay off your loans, the smaller your monthly payment, but the more you will pay back in total dollars. Not all loans are eligible for all repayment plans. Private loan repayment plans are at the discretion of the lender. Please contact your Student Finance Counselor if you have any questions.

Federal Direct Loan Repayment Plans
Depending on your overall federal loan amount that you need to repay along with your current financial situation, there may be different repayment options available to you. This federal resource will provide all of the information you need to be better informed of your repayment options for your federal loans. Options may include, Standard, Extended, Income Contingent and Income Based repayment plans, depending on your situation. Not all plans are available to all students. While we typically suggest choosing a plan that repays your loan the fastest, generally the Standard plan, the Income Based and Income Contingent plans might be best for you right now. If you have further questions, please contact a Student Finance Counselor at the school for assistance. Please know that the federal government has the right to change the terms of each plan at any time, including eliminating and adding plans. Students also have the right to change plans, per federal regulations, as needed.

Financial Aid Changes
Every year, many of the federal aid policies, practices, and awards are up for review and approval by the federal government. The government also maintains the right to modify all federal aid policies at any time during the year should there be budgetary or regulation issues that need to be addressed immediately. Starting with the new financial aid award year that begins officially on July 1st, the attached document highlights the pending changes in financial aid awarding and policy. The Financial Aid Office will be able to answer any specific questions regarding how these changes might or might not affect you and your financial aid award for the coming school year. Please refer to the Federal Student Aid site for additional information.

Financial Literacy
We encourage you to visit iGrad! for information and guidance on improving your financial knowledge. We strongly encourage our students to utilize iGrad's full library of resources including their updated short video presentations, relevant current articles on a wide array of financial topics, calculators, games, and a job search function, All of these resources will provide valuable tips and lessons for understanding financial aid and for managing all of your finances wisely. Some of the topics covered include financial aid processes and awards, paying for college; time management; credit management; preparing for life after college; and personal finance tips for undergraduate, graduate and professional students.

U.S. Military Education Benefits
We are committed to helping you—our military service members, veterans and your families—understand the financial investment you are making by pursuing a post secondary education, along with helping you to understand and uncover the financial aid options for which you may be eligible. Our Military Brochure provide a summary of the most common military education benefits, including links to the federal sites for more detailed information.

In addition, the brochure describes the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet (Shopping Sheet) that will be provided to you to assist you as you make the important decision to continue your education. A personalized Shopping Sheet will be created for you in accordance with the Principles of Excellence as outlined in Executive Order 13607. For illustrative purposes, please review the Shopping Sheet template prescribed by the Department of Education to participating schools; your Shopping Sheet will follow this format.

The Art Institutes offer qualifying military students numerous military education benefits that can help you acquire the knowledge and skills you need to put your passion to work in design, media arts, fashion and culinary careers. The Military Student Loan Benefits document provides you with an overview of the special benefits and repayment options for your student loans available from the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Defense. For additional information about military education and housing benefits, explore our Education and Housing Benefits Guidelines.

If you served on Active Duty, you might be eligible for education benefits offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. For example, the Post-9/11 GI Bill provides financial support for educational and housing expenses to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service after September 10, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. You must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. If you are currently serving in the military, you may be eligible for funding offered through the Department of Defense Tuition Assistance program. Check your eligibility status and the amount for which you qualify with your Service prior to enrolling.

If you are the spouse or child of a service member who is serving on active duty Title 10 orders in the pay grades of E1-E5, O1-O2, or W1-W2, you may be eligible for financial assistance from the Department of Defense for education, training, and/or the occupational license and credentials necessary for a portable career.

If you are the spouse or child of a service member, you may be eligible for transfer of the service member's Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to you. For more information on these benefits, visit www.gibill.va.gov.

To learn more about educational benefits for military personnel and veterans, please begin with our military pages here.

The College Scorecard Web Site
Is a planning tool and resource to assist prospective students and their families as they evaluate options in selecting a school and is located here.

The College Navigator Web Site

A consumer tool that provides school information to include tuition and fees, retention and graduation rates, use of financial aid, student loan default rates and features a cost calculator and school comparison tool. The College Navigator is located here.

The Paying for College Web Page

Which can be used by prospective students to enter the names of up to three schools and receive detailed financial information on each one and to enter actual financial aid award information. The tool can be accessed here.

Resolving Disputes
If you have tried to resolve a dispute you have about your Federal Student Aid and you have not been able to do so, you may need to contact the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group of the U. S. Department of Education.

Academic Awareness

At The Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division our undergraduate academic programs are designed to help you develop skills that are vital to professional achievement. The following links provide you with the information you need to understand what programs we offer, how our schools are accredited, and how much it will cost to attend our school so you can make the right decision about your education.

Average Credits Attempted Per Term and Average Time to Graduation
Note: The data below includes only programs or degree types that had continuously enrolled graduates to report. If a degree or credential type did not have continuously enrolled graduates, that is, if graduates did not complete the program from start to finish without interruption in their coursework, data for that credential type is not included or reported.

Students take an average of 7 credits per quarter for Certificate programs, 7 credits per quarter for Diploma programs, 8 credits per quarter for Associate degree programs, and 9 credits per quarter for Bachelor degree programs.

Certificate programs: It will take approximately 6 quarters (18 months) of successful course completion at a 8 or 9 credit load and 4 quarters (12 months) at a 12 credit hour load to graduate. On average and including transfer credits as applicable, continuously enrolled students complete the program in 6 quarters (18 months).

Diploma programs: It will take approximately 6 quarters (18 months) of successful course completion at a 8 or 9 credit load and 4 quarters (12 months) at a 12 credit hour load to graduate. On average and including transfer credits as applicable, continuously enrolled students complete the program in 6 quarters (18 months).

Associate degrees: It will take approximately 8 quarters (24 months) of successful course completion at a 12 credit load and 6 quarters (18 months) at a 15 or 16 credit hour load to graduate. On average and including transfer credits as applicable, continuously enrolled students complete the program in 12 quarters (36 months).

Bachelor degrees: It will take approximately 15 quarters (45 months) of successful course completion at a 12 credit load and 12 quarters (36 months) at a 15 or 16 credit hour load to graduate. On average and including transfer credits as applicable, continuously enrolled students complete the program in 17 quarters (51 months).

Changing programs, beginning programs at the mid-quarter start date, taking remedial courses, taking time off from coursework, registering for fewer hours or unsuccessful attempts at course completion may increase the total length of the program and overall cost of education. Transfer credits awarded toward your program may decrease the overall length and cost of education. Data reported is based on graduates in each program type and may not be indicative of future outcomes. Credential types with less than ten graduates are not presented.

Refund Policy, Requirements for Withdrawal, and Return of Title IV (Federal) Financial Aid

Facilities
To find out more about our library and classrooms, explore our Academic Catalog.

Faculty
Our faculty provide a nurturing atmosphere for our students. They foster a nurturing atmosphere where teaching methods are geared towards the success of our students. To learn more about our faculty, see our Academic Catalog.

Transfer of Credit
Important information on transferring credits can be found in our Transfer of Credit Policy found here. The school does not imply, promise or guarantee transferability of its credits to any other institution nor does it promise to accept any and all credits from other institutions. In the U.S. higher education system, transferability of credit is determined by the receiving institution, taking into account such factors as course content, grading, accreditation and licensing.

Accreditation and Licensing
Information regarding accreditation and licensing, including education program accreditation, can be found here. This information can also be found in our catalog. You can view the accreditation and licensing documentation by contacting the school directly at 800.275.2470. Please ask to be transferred to the President's office for assistance.

Privacy of Student Records – Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
To find out more about your rights as a student, including the rights and procedures relating to your right to view your education records, review our FERPA Policy.

Program Improvements
From time to time, it is important for academic programs to make improvements to their curriculum or teaching style to stay in line with industry standards and changes. For information on all program changes and plans for improvement, click here to see what the current plans might be to improve any academic program at this location.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy
With specific guidance from our accrediting bodies and the federal government, the school has established a mandatory Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy in order to help provide guidelines for students in maintaining their academic progress towards completion of a degree. Failure to comply with the established SAP policy could result in a loss of financial aid eligibility along with eventual academic probation and dismissal. Please be aware that dropping courses, reducing course load and failing courses will negatively affect your academic progress. The school has established periodic checkpoints to monitor student progress and to provide early intervention and corrective measures when appropriate. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of and understand the current SAP policy, which can be found here, along with being available in the school catalog. Please contact your student academic advisor with any questions regarding the policy or to review your current academic standing.

Articulation Agreements For Courses Transferring Into This Campus
Many students have previous education experiences and may have earned credits at other institutions. We are providing a listing of the Articulation Agreements that we have entered into with other institutions that describe the courses that may transfer into program(s) at this campus. Articulation agreements are developed to identify what specific courses (please note that sometimes there are also minimum grade requirements) will transfer into specific programs at this campus from other institutions under the circumstances described in the actual articulation agreements. An articulation agreement by itself does NOT mean every course will transfer into a program at this campus.

It is at the discretion of the receiving institution The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Campus as to which credits will or will not be accepted for transfer. The student should review the articulation agreement to make sure they understand whether courses they wish to transfer in are included in the articulation agreement. Please contact a campus admissions representative, registrar or an academic advisor with any questions or for more detail on specific articulation agreements or to review the actual articulation agreement.

Students should understand that articulation agreements may be modified or eliminated by either the sending or receiving campus.

Textbook Information

Textbooks
A list of text books for the courses we offer can be found by logging on to the Campus Common site with your student login.

Important Book Information
We provide ease and convenience in accessing all of your textbook needs.

Cash Management Contracts

The Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division utilizes a third-party servicer, BankMobile, to provide stipends to our eligible students. Under the Title IV cash management regulations, institutions are required to publicly disclose any contract that governs a cash management arrangement, as well as information about the costs incurred by students who elect to use a financial account offered under this arrangement. To view this contract and Addendum - Consent to Assignment, please click here and click here respectively. For a schedule of costs that may be incurred by the student, please refer to bankmobilevibe.com/fee-schedule/.

Eligible students are required to log into their account on the BankMobile web site and select their preferred stipend delivery method. The major features and assessed fees for each stipend delivery method, as well as the terms and conditions for selecting a financial account with the third-party servicer, may be found on the BankMobile Web site.

For information regarding mean and median costs incurred by a BankMobile Vibe student checking accountholder and any students who had an open Vibe account under the contract during the prior award year, please refer to the BankMobile Student Financial Account Fee Data and Monetary/Non-Monetary Considerations document. This document also provides information regarding monetary and non-monetary considerations paid by The Art Institutes to BankMobile under the contract during the prior award year.

Student Services

Security Alerts
In the event of an emergency, our alert system will be enabled where timely information and instruction regarding the status of the emergency will be provided. Students now can also receive emergency messages via email, mobile phone, home phone and text messaging directly to the communication device of each recipient's choice. Students simply need to update their personal profile in their Student Portal to begin receiving emergency messages.

Voter Registration for Students
United States citizens who are students of voting age can find voter information specific to their state of residence while attending school by clicking here.

Drug and Alcohol Policies
Policies regarding drug and alcohol use can be found in this document.

Copyright Infringement Policies and Sanctions
Policies regarding copyright infringement and sanctions regarding violation of those policies can be found in our Intellectual Property Policy.

Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Training
We are providing this training program to educate students, faculty, and staff about Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination (SaVE) Act and the VAWA/Clery Act. This training provides information on several topics relevant to college life: sexuality, sexual violence prevention, dating/domestic violence and stalking prevention, bystander intervention, and discrimination prevention.

The training also provides resources for reporting and resolving violence. Our schools prohibit the crimes of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. These crimes will not be tolerated and will result in sanctions up to and including expulsion.

Loan Calculators

Loan Repayment Estimators
If you will be utilizing student loans to help pay for your education, we have provided a few loan calculators as helpful resources to get an idea of what your loan repayment options and amounts might be. All results are estimates based on information that you will provide and cannot be considered an offer or promise of any kind as to your actual loan repayment amounts. Loan amounts, interest rates, repayment plans and the length of repayment can all change and all will affect the actual monthly payment amount you may need to make along with your total amount repaid at the end of your loan terms.

Outside Resources

The College Navigator Website
The U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Services compiles an annual report containing institutional and state-level information. View our report by visiting the site and entering our school name.

Cohort Default Rates
For information on our school rates, please click here. Cohort default rates help to measure the percentage of students within a specific cohort who enter into repayment on federal student loans within a specific timeframe. The United States Government releases official data once per academic year, with the new rates scheduled to be released in September of this year. Please contact your Student Financial Services professional with questions regarding these rates.

Licensure, Credentialing and Other Student Outcomes

CIDA
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online collects and publishes important information regarding student achievement, including aggregate data addressing attrition and retention, graduation rates, job placement rates, and acceptance into graduate programs in order to meet Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) program eligibility requirements. That information can be found here.

Graduate Statistics
The Career Services Department partners with students and graduates to seek appropriate employment during all stages of your education. To find out more about our employment statistics, including placement rates, average salaries, and types of jobs our graduates hold, download our graduate employment statistics. Placement Rate data can also be found by visiting our Gainful Employment pages. When there, please make sure to choose the correct campus location and to select your program of choice.

The placement statistics in the graduate placement statistics brochure use a different disclosure period and employment waivers than the employment statistics available on the gainful employment disclosures, which are based on calculations determined by national, programmatic or state accreditation agencies, if required. You should review and consider both statistics when analyzing employment outcomes for programs in which you are interested. A career services advisor at your school of choice is available to answer any questions you may have about the placement statistics.